September 11, 2008

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It’s difficult to believe that it’s been seven years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. My family and friends are all in the New York area, and I’d been in the World Trade Center many times. I remember as a child, standing on the banks of the Hudson along the New Jersey Pallisades with my Dad, and watching as the towers were being built, growing taller and taller before my eyes. Having grown up there, I had a different perspective than most Alaskans who were trying to wrap their minds around what had happened so very far away.

We’re all thinking about it today. Here’s an amazing post from regular Mudflats reader Arkangel3 who is a survivor of the attacks in New York City. It’s worth a read. As with all tragedies, it serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change on a day that starts out feeling like any other day. It reminds us that no matter how much we may be embroiled in our day to day struggles, never to lose sight of those things and those people for whom we should be grateful.

So thanks Arkangel3. You put it well.

Let us work together to seek justice for those who have been killed or injured. Let us offer a hand to those who need it, whether or not they have been there first hand. Let us all show the strength of humanity and compassion that we are all capable of. Let us rebuild our city, our nation, and our fragile planet.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all who lost friends and loved ones on this horrbile date- and in the war since.

May we again have peace soon.. and may you all find solace in your happy memories of those you lost.

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Diva(10:12:26) :

Bill in Portland Maine asks some unanswered questions such as:

“When Glenn Beck—one of the most respected figures in the Republican party—said, “When I see a 9/11 victim family on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh shut up!’ I’m so sick of them because they’re always complaining,” why wasn’t he banished into obscurity?”

I’ a NYC resident. When the attacks occurred, it took days to really believe it to really comprehend that this was the new reality, the new sky line, and the new relationship with local authority.

Before security became very tight and formal, I tried to get close to lower Manhattan to see it for myself. I brought my boat as close as I could to see it, only to be turned back by the coast guard. Shortly there after all recreational boat were banned from NY harbor.

Staten Island lost hundreds of residents that day. One firehouse , acting as first responders lost almost everybody.

That year and every year following it, I’ve heard local politicians clamor to give important sounding speeches, and somehow attach themselves to that event.

Rudy Giuliani did it well the first time, but has been trying to milk it for all its worth ever since.

So as we go through the ritual of a minute of silence, twice, read the names and as some pols obligingly attend, I recall what else we lost.

Recently I entered the Staten Isl an ferry terminal and looked surprised at how full it was. A policeman saw my face and called me over to inspect my bag.
A spot inspection of my personal property.

A month ago I witnessed a stop and frisk of a fairly normal looking young black man. No gang colors, no droopy pants, no slouchy gansta vibe, just a citizen. A meek mention of a warrant was shouted down and dismissed.

So when you hear speeches about protecting America, and our freedom, please keep in mind what we have lost, and notice the fear mongers; those that tell us NYC is ALWAYS on orange alert, those that tell us ,”its to make us safer”, we’re fighting for our freedom by fighting over in Iraq.

So thanks to AKMuckraker for being a good citizen and not being afraid to speak out against the 80%…

Good job.

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Jennifer(10:14:45) :

Thanks for the link to Arkangel3. In the midst of all the commemorative events going on today, his story affected me the most.

Never again should a President you want to have a beer with be allowed to lie the American public into a False & Phony war and ignore the real war as George W. Bush was able too! National Security strength, I don’t think so, after all 911 happened on the Republicans’ watch, but they distorted that message too and you would think that Democrats are weak on national security! Politicans who lie to the public are engaged in a betrayal of the public trust and such distortion should be deemed unethical and in some cases, criminal!

And, it is an outrage or should be that the government can give millions of dollars to CEO’s from the failed Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and yet, cannot give a second stimulus check to American citizens in these hard economic times?

Republicans say No to a second stimulus while the Democrats say Yes to a second stimulus!

Is the Republican Congress working for CEO’s or are they working for you, the people?

…so i got involved; i went and bought postcards to send to those folks in Ohio who are still pondering who to vote for: Ohio, Vermont cares about you !

a decade ago when i left my country i was just fed up with politics and i’ve been pretty much in a state of peace until this election; there is so much at stake and we really have a chance to show the world that people are in charge of their countries and they could bring the change they desire, if they unite their forces.

to gov. Palin and other anti-abortionists: having once lived in a country where abortions were illegal and little contraceptive resources available, i have some horror stories for you ! Sex education is the answer !

last but not least: AKMuckraker, what did Gov. Pailin do for the health care system in Alaska ? maybe you could dig up some good information that we could forward to the MSM…let’s not forget your health is your most precious possession !

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raingods(10:19:13) :

Maybe it’s me, but the friends I have beers with, I wouldn’t want as a dog catcher. I love my friends and all, but still…

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Proud2BUSA(10:20:46) :

Arkangel – I have no words for you, other than to thank you for putting into words what many of our friends could not. You are a hero. And we salute you. Thank you.

Mudflats – without you, this community would not be here focused on a common goal of getting to the truth. So many of us live in states where the Republican machine is so large, so well-oiled, and so well-funded that it “feels” insurmountable and that our work really doesn’t matter. This blog has taught me it is not insurmountable, and Obama’s slogan of “YES WE CAN” keeps ringing back.

YES WE CAN – GET TO THE TRUTH OF INVESTIGATIONS, CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND CAMPAIGN SLURS if we demand it and do it together

YES WE CAN – HELP OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, NO MATTER WHO THEY VOTE FOR ON 11/4, BECOME MORE EDUCATED SO WHEN THEY PULL THE LEVER THEY DO SO ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE

YES WE CAN – CHANGE AMERICA FOR THE BETTER ensure that this part of history is not repeated by madmen on either side of the fence.

YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN.

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lemonfair(10:21:09) :

Sometimes I find it easier to forgive the men who did this than the administration which missed an opportunity to bring us and the free peoples of the world together, and I believe, misused the death of so many to settle a score, advance an ideology, and cause the death of so many tens of thousands more, here and in Iraq, without making us safer.

But I say that not as one more opportunity to take a partisan dig at the Bush administration, but because my failure to forgive hurts me, and is a part of the disease of this country. I wish to God I knew how to give up that bitterness, and I wish I knew how we all could learn to forgive one another. Whoever wins this next election faces a terrible challenge to reach and to teach those who opposed him. Pray for peace.

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Anonymous(10:22:40) :

KO was stellar in his commentary on MSNBC last nite. He called out McCoward on his bs about “knowing how to get bin Laden”.

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Dan S.(10:28:42) :

I was living a half mile from the Pentagon and working at a D.C. defense/counterterrorism think tank. (I left D.C. in mid-2006 due to the mind-numbing aggravation of trying to effect consistent, rational defense policy under the auspices of the Bush Administration.)

My last remembrances of John are half a life away, from the impromptu high school graduation party he called at my house (John in foreground with cap) to his pride at finishing his engineering degree and managing facilities for a million-square foot building in Manhattan.

Perhaps he protected me as a kid because he knew that way deep down, he was destined to become an engineering geek himself. And a hero, a much bigger hero, in protecting the lives of others in a very real way.

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arkangel3(10:38:55) :

Thanks for the trackback AK. It’s what we learn from this day that counts, and never has it counted more than in this election THIS year.

While we remember the fallen of 9/11, remember those who have died in the unjust war in Iraq. Remember the soldier who returns with PTSD and help them in any way you can. Remember the poor and the homeless in our Nation, because someone has to look after them.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

Remember what this Nation was founded on…WE THE PEOPLE. Do not net the souls who have departed from this earth pass from us in vain.

Work Together, Work For Peace
Never Forget…Never Again!

“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” – Aeschylus

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” – Robert F Kennedy

As a fellow New Yorker and as someone who was in NYC and experienced 9/11 firsthand, well, it doesn’t feel like seven years. I am blessed that I didn’t lose anyone. And, though my office was uncomfortably close to the towers, it was never in any real danger.

I am always amazed that the folks who live in far-flung states, who don’t know a soul in New York City, who have never visited here, who claim that the people who live on the coasts are ‘out of touch’ with ‘real America’, are elistist, liberal weirdos (etc., etc.), who are in no real, personal danger of a terrorist threat are the ones who LOVE to talk about 9/11, terrorist threats, and how Rudy Giuliani is so great.

I have never heard a single New Yorker talk about fear of terrorism as a voting platform. I guess we probably are under some sort of constant terrorist threat. I mean, this is the biggest city in the nation, it makes sense. I find it interesting that what is probably still the nation’s #1 terrorist destination (or maybe #2 after D.C.) is the bluest damn city you could find.

I also think most New Yorkers are still pretty wounded by 9/11. No, I misspoke, we are still wounded by that day. To see our fair city wounded like that, to see our fellow New Yorkers – I can’t even finish the sentence. For New Yorkers, this city is part of us. It’s like a dear friend, or a crazy old aunt who you love, but sometimes just makes you a little bit nuts, but that’s somehow part of the charm. New York becomes a piece of you, just as you become a piece of it. It’s magical here – that’s why so many people come.

I digress. Rudy Giuliani handled 9/11 and its aftermath well, I’ll give him that. When we felt ignored by our federal government, Rudy at least would tell us what the $#%@ was going on. But he was a horrible, vindictive man and people couldn’t wait for his term to expire. I love that people in far flung locations think he’s so great yet New Yorkers pretty much hate him. They hated him before but then when he started his campaign based solely on peddling fear of another 9/11, that was it. I think most of NYC officially hated him. I know very few New Yorkers who didn’t find his candidacy laughable and his campaign manipulation a disgrace.

So, apologies, I digressed a lot. My main point, and some food for thought, was that people who have a very real threat of terrorism don’t seem that frightened by it – it’s a fact of life that we may just have to deal with again. But the people who are afraid are in no real danger of it happening to them or anyone they know.

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Ana Gama(10:43:56) :

I mean no offense to anyone, but please never forget “My Pet Goat.”

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Pat(10:47:32) :

This is also the anniversary, of the UN celebration and announcement to the World…..that they had proclaimed……………………
” I founded Peace One Day in 1999 to document my efforts to create an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed calendar date. In 2001, POD achieved its primary objective. United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/Res/55/282) was unanimously adopted by UN member states, formally establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace, fixed in the global calendar on 21 September – Peace Day.”http://www.peaceoneday.org/about.aspx
Unfortunately the celebration was interrupted by the need to evacuate the UN building, and in the USA the terror of 9/11 has supplanted Peace Day.
A few schools remember and it is observed in other countries around the globe………
…….It SHOULD BE LINKED TO THE OBSERVANCES FOR GROUND ZERO.

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judi(10:48:03) :

Awesome Ark—-Thanks for the story and also for the quotes. We will never forget. We will go to that cave where bin Laden lives and we will make him pay!

I mentioned that in my blogpost today, and the fact that everyone went MIA for hours.

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drchill(10:50:24) :

cc717 (10:42:27)

I’ve noticed that too. I don’t know if the fear mongering has created fear, or if living through it puts a limit on the fear we feel.
Speaking of feelings, if I hear one more word about how someone is voting because how they feel, I’m gonna puke.

When has America become so ANTI- intellectual so easily manipulated by image and superficiality, and so willing to vote with their ‘gut’?!!

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Cynthia, TX(10:52:22) :

Sorry, this must get posted again! This is just unbelievable! Mccain thinks Palin experience with National Security is Energy

Please pass this to everyone and media outlet you can think about.

McCain: Palin Has National Security Experience Because She Knows About ‘Energy’»

In remembrance of the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Senator Obama released the following statement:

Today, we honor the memory of the lives that were lost on September 11, 2001, and grieve with the families and friends who lost someone they loved in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We will never forget those who died. We will always remember the extraordinary efforts of our firefighters, police and emergency responders, and those who sacrificed their own lives on Flight 93 to protect their fellow Americans. And we give thanks for the Americans defending us every day in our communities at home, and in our military abroad.

On 9/11, Americans across our great country came together to stand with the families of the victims, to donate blood, to give to charity, and to say a prayer for our country. Let us renew that spirit of service and that sense of common purpose. Let us remember that the terrorists responsible for 9/11 are still at large, and must be brought to justice. Let us resolve to defeat terrorist networks, defend the American homeland, stand up for the enduring American values that we cherish, and seek a new birth of freedom at home and around the world.

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Pat(11:05:18) :

ANd in Dec 2001, I traveled to N Y City by train & bus from Maine, on my way to pick up a “new” used diesel rabbit from a mechanic in NJ. My son in law dropped me off at
the Port Authority bus station, on his way to work, and I entered the very crowded not too well labeled terminal. I couldn’t find the bus I wanted. A kind stranger came to my rescue, carried my suitcase for me and escorted me to the proper terminal. AS we chatted he revealed that he had survived 9/11 because he had been home sick that day, and had dedicated himself to be helpful to to others in gratitude. It was a sweet moment!

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judi(11:07:13) :

Thanks Willpen..I saw that but needed to hear it again…Will pass it on to others.

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Cassie(11:07:26) :

Not Bin Laden?

I had decided to take an official day of remembrance today to mourn the 9/11 attacks, the victims that day, all the subsequent victims of all nationalities who have died since and to be truly grateful for the continued lives of those who but for the grace of God, survived…including a family member.

I’m one of those silly patriots who cried when seeing the original star spangled banner that is housed at the Smithsonian.

Today, it is very cloudy on much of the east coast—unlike that brilliant day seven years ago.

The day gets cloudier and cloudier as this important campaign melts into the sticky, slimey goo the Republican party is so good at stirring up.

…and now, Bin Laden wasn’t even the mastermind (Whitehouse view as of today).

I wonder about the regular army and special forces men and women whose job it has been to search for him all these years. How many of them have died? How many of them have put their lives “on hold” for this important mission?

How many of them can come home now because Bin Laden wasn’t the mastermind?

How ’bout we bring them all home, folks!

Get on your phones, fill those email boxes, make a donation, call a college student, take dinner to someone too busy doing those things to make dinner.

Just returned from a 9/11 memorial at my son’s school. All the kids brought flowers to place under the flag pole. Looking at the youngest students, some of whom were born post 9/11, I was struck by how even their lives have been affected by the choices our government made. We live near a Military base and have many military families in our little town. A great percentage of the students have had parents posted to Iraq.

There were tears on the adults’ faces….but mostly bewilderment on the children’s.

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Mil(11:19:29) :

I was in highschool when 9/11 happened. I was a senior. I remember a girl sitting next to me in precalc, though we were watching the tv and not even pretending to do schoolwork. She asked me why I was crying and was so upset. I just said, “Do have *any* idea how many people just died?” She didn’t get it. That moment has stuck with me the most all these years. We were watching the towers fall and this girl had no concept of how much the world had changed. How vulnerable we all were. Sometimes I wonder how many people still don’t understand what happened that day.

For months afterwards, I kept thinking to myself ‘I want to go home’… even if I was sitting in my own bed. Our sense of safety was taken from us.

I didn’t lose anyone in 9/11. I don’t have any family or friends in New York. But I am still deeply affected by this event. My heart is with anyone who lost someone or were there that day.

Many of us are with you, the ones still carrying the scars, emotional and physical, of that day. You are not alone. We are always with you. We don’t forget when it’s not this day. We think of you often and send our good wishes and love.

thanks arkangel3 your WE THE PEOPLE reminded me of my college Political Science teacher … she said regularly, at least twice during each lecture the entire semester: “WHO SHALL JUDGE? WE THE PEOPLE SHALL JUDGE.”

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White Agate(11:28:15) :

Thanks, the Polar Bears were much-needed! No lipstick, either.

You said it, Proud2B:

YES WE CAN – GET TO THE TRUTH OF INVESTIGATIONS, CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND CAMPAIGN SLURS if we demand it and do it together

YES WE CAN – HELP OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, NO MATTER WHO THEY VOTE FOR ON 11/4, BECOME MORE EDUCATED SO WHEN THEY PULL THE LEVER THEY DO SO ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE

YES WE CAN – CHANGE AMERICA FOR THE BETTER ensure that this part of history is not repeated by madmen on either side of the fence.

YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN.

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ds55(11:30:10) :

SENATOR John McCain’s ”Faith of My Fathers,” written with his chief of staff, Mark Salter, sketches his family background and boyhood, gives greater attention to his time at Annapolis and as a Navy flier and dwells longest on his five and a half years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. It ends with his regained freedom and vow of continued public service. By now the image of John McCain just after his release in 1973 is a familiar one: hobbling on crutches but still able to salute, every beaten, tortured inch of him an American hero.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05EEDD153FF930A35753C1A96F958260
[The above description of McCain ‘hobbling on crutches’ does not match the video just released.]

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Palmdale, CA(11:30:47) :

After Arkangel3’s post the other day, I promised myself that rather than being partisan today, I would focus on those who died and those who still suffer and may yet suffer as a result of those events. My resolve lasted until, oh, about 8:15 a.m. But, trying to get back on track…

Repeatedly over the past 7 years, I’ve thought of FDR’s wise words during another dark time about the negative power of fear. Since September 11, 2001, I’ve chosen not to surrender to the power of fear or to the surreal quality of that day. Like cc717, I have a hard time understanding the fears of people who live in communities utterly lacking in iconic symbols representing the terrorists’ grievances against the US. And I’m struck by the relative lack of fear shown by the residents of New York City. Perhaps it has something to do with exposure to new ideas and other cultures. I’m also reminded almost daily of Benjamin Franklin’s sage advice that “Those who sacrifice liberty in the search for security will have neither.”

We must be strong in our committments to each other. I thank God that I’ve found this community of caring people. We found each other, and in such a short time together we’ve shared our stories, our frustrations, our hopes, our anxieties, our laughter, our tears and our humanity. What a treasure!

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Lizzie(11:34:10) :

YES WE CAN….

But these are the idiots we’re battling…

“Here’s what Dennis Baxley, a former state legislator from Ocala and the executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, one of the most prominent groups on the religious right, said during an interview with the Miami Herald about Obama’s outreach to the Christian community:

“He’s pretty scary to us,” he said. “I think his Muslim roots and training — while they try to minimize it — it’s there.”

Granted, there are some who are beyond conversion, who don’t have the ability to envision a brighter future, free of prejudice. However, we HAVE to make our voices stronger and louder than theirs.

YES WE CAN!!!

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MJC(11:39:39) :

Hi Judi,

I’m a Republican, who is voting for Obama, so we are not all evil. I am sad to say that many are hate mongers, war mongers, racists, and use God and Religion for political purposes. Then there are others who are just “low information voters or “one issue voters.” And yes, some of these folks may ver well fall into the “evil catagory”

Oh my, I think I just convinced myself to become and Independant. 🙂

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antsy(11:46:52) :

@MJC

Some of the nicest people I know — like my 80 year-old mother and 90 year-old mother-in-law — are life long republicans. And they are both voting for Obama. I am a boomer who never followed those family traditions 😉

I live in the suburb of Maryland and on 9/11 I worked in downtown DC. That was a crazy day as I was getting of the subway I noticed everyone going in the opposite direction.

I asked someone what was happening and they told me that the Pentagon had just been hit. Then I got into the office and I was told that another plane was on its way to the WhiteHouse or the Capitol. It was unreal.

The cell phone lines were all jammed and I could not reach my son to let him know I was ok but I was trying to get home. Everyone was evacuating the city and for the first time I began to see National Guards come out. I thought I was watching a movie or something.

Later after it was all over and during the week, we took the train toward the Pentagon and to see a big gapping hole in the side of the building was incredible.

It was funny that during the days that followed everyone was carrying flags and crime had actually gone down. People were coming together helping each other. For a little while we really were the United States of America.

How soon we forget and once again divided we fall. Who would have ever thought we would still be fighting that war because we took our eye off the real mission to satisfy the ego of a few individuals.

I saw on another blog that a soldier who was in Iraq said he actually had Osama Bin Laden in his sights and they pulled them back. Wow, that’s amazing.

This is yet another reason why we need a change!

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From England(11:59:07) :

Thanks for sharing with us. Let’s all pull together as human beings to make this world better, to make sacrifices for each other and to do positive things in our communities……one step at a time.

I had such a heavy heart reading your story Arkangel. I pray that we can take events of that terrible day as inspiration to make a difference.

Hi everyone,
I was in a conversation today with a friend of mine. As we discussed what was going on she made this assessment. She said it really didn’t matter since the Republicans have actually bought the vote. She said “it’s all about the mney” that what drives the election. She said the Repubs count on people to have that view since they have gotten so fed up with the tricks, distortations and bribery, and so they know if they wear people down enough they will go by the wayside and at the end of te day, they get what they want. That is why we have had a Republican in the White House for so long. Hillary says it all the time. And she also mentioned there was no way in hell they were going to let a Black man into the White House.”:

I had to admit that in some ways I agreed with her. This seems to be the case based on everything I am seeing and the tactics that are being used. And I believe this is just the beginning it will get a log worse before November 4.

It seems if we are ever going to really honor the day of September 11, we owe to those fallen citizens and to our future to find a way. To break through the cycle.

I have been sitting at my computer on Mudflats daily now for two weeks — has it only been two weeks? Seems like forever. I found this place literally the day they announced because I wanted to know who she was and this blog had the information I was looking for.

Now here is where I take a Crazy Ivan… these past two weeks I have, on more than one occasion equated the way I feel about the nomination of these two … uh … what’s the word? Terrorists… yes terrorists (I promise I’ll get back to why I am calling them terrorists) with the way I felt after 9/11/2001.

I was pretty hopeless back then. I kept wishing the Aliens would come and make it all seem superfluous. Well. The last couple of weeks that hopelessness has settled in for a long Fall snooze. The only time I am able to shake it is when I am here. Because there are people here who want to change things. I believe that the Republiars stole the election in 2000 — no doubt in my mind — I also believe that those same thieves are out there again. It heartens me to know that there are people all over the country, all over the world who care enough to do something, to make the changes necessary. Should the worst happen and we lose this election to the likes of GIJohn and Caribou Barbie, names we give them to make them less terrible, I know that you people will be out there. I only hope we’ll be able to find each other again when they take away our rights to assemble and speak freely.

As to why I would call GIJohn & Caribou Barbie “terrorists”: because at its simplest form, the definition of terrorist is one who strikes terror. And what is “terror”? Terror is overwhelming fear or anxiety. I have terror brought to me by these two terrorists.

Now I know I’ll be put on an enemies list.

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mvngfwd(12:13:43) :

MCain looks very “uncomfortable” during the 9/11 ceremony. By contrast, Obama looks thoughtful and presidential. I do not mean to be crass on this important day. I still can “smell” the toxins even though I am now here in FL and would never intentionally disrespect this day.

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Proud2BUSA(12:36:06) :

This is sweet. My son, who is just wonderful btw, just called me and told me about their work-out today (he plays competitive tennis) and has to have so many days in the gym cross-training.

On the wall, there were pictures of some of the fallen: fireman, policeman, clergy, others. They had to pick a picture from the wall. My son picked a gentleman by the name of Murph. Murph was a fireman – and evidently a very heroic one. He saved 19 people. He kept going in and going back even under personal safety. One of the towers finally collapsed and Murph was in it.

My son said they had a very quiet and determined work-out because they to do everything that was on the sheet to honor their selected fallen. He said all the guys read their sheets and it became very quiet and solemn because they realized alot of these guys were not a lot older than they are, and look at they did.

My son’s sheet talked about Murp’s courage, his refusal to quit, his selflessness, and the desire to do more to help those he could help. My son is exhausted and said he could barely walk or stand up – and he plays 3-4 hours/tennis a day.

I just thought that was a very kind way to remind our young people of the sacrifice these heroes made.

My story of 9/11 is trivial compared to those who were in NYC or DC that day. I was living in Las Vegas, working as a contractor on a Federal project. By the time the work day started out west, both towers had been hit, as had the Pentagon. We knew we were under attack. Almost no work got done that morning. We could get CNN live on our computers. Almost everyone was tuned in. Conversation was muted, people in shock. Finally, the announcement came that because we were in a government building, we were being sent home as a precaution. We were told to take different routes than normal, to go home and stay put, to check in on a special number the next morning for further instructions.

I lived alone and had no family nearby. My neighvors all kept to themselves. There was nobody with whom to share the comfort of a hug or even a smile. On my way home, I called the man in my life to tell him where I’d be. No answer. Repeatedly no answer. He worked on a military base, and I assumed a communication black-out. I called his son, who was still asleep, told him what was happening and that if his dad called to please tell him I would be at home. I spent the afternoon glued to the TV and on the phone with family and friends. We tried to reassure ourselves and each other that while so many things had obviously changed, some things remained constant.

The next day, some people at work were already talking about “turning Afghanistan into glass.” I cringed. Not at the emotion, but at the mere thought of that as an option. Hadn’t there been enough innocent deaths?

As a student of history and of the Middle East, I understood at a deep level that the attack hadn’t come from nowhere. It was too early to ask whether perhaps it wasn’t so irrational if we tried to see our actions in that part of the world through the eyes of the people who live there. I’m not sure we’re to that point yet. I wonder if such a discussion will ever be possible. I love my country. I love my kids. But I know that neither my kids nor my country is perfect.

I do know, deep in my soul, that we are doomed unless and until we come to see that with very few exceptions, people the world over have far more in common than we do things that separate us. Will wel continue refusing to look in the mirror? Will wel continue to blame others for their decisions and actions rather than accepting responsibility for our own?

Self-examination isn’t easy. It isn’t comfortable. It is mature. It is necessary. It is the only path to peace.

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Proud2BUSA(13:09:03) :

@Cain –

Holy cow…..holy moly. I have no words for your link, but holy sh** and do ALL of our Jewish friends have this??? I just sent it to my Outlook list. THIS NEEDS TO BE BLANKETED OVER FLORIDA. . . THEY NEED TO HIRE A PLANE AND THROW THOUSANDS OF THESE DOWN TO FLORIDIANS. This needs to get out to a wide audience.

If this was done consciously which is chilling in and of itself, that makes Lieberman very….umm….well, let’s just say…he, himself may have a little problem. I can’t believe that Palin was aware of this (maybe, but I doubt it) but it’s the speechwriter who’s putting the words in her pretty mouth and without her checking . . she can communicate anything….again, this is the dream for Rove/Hagee/Dobson and all the far, far, far, far Let’s Start Armageddon right…..

dang.

thanks for sharing.

11092008

cc717(13:21:48) :

To Mil and many others:

In my last post, I hope people know I meant no offense to anyone. I got a little worked up as I was writing it, and I am no great writer, so, apologies.

I know that there are tons of people out there who don’t know anyone who lives in NY, etc. who were deeply affected by 9/11 and I in *no way* meant to belittle their feelings in any way. Knowing such a tragedy could happen in your country, and all the personal pain and political ramifications that would surely ensue – it doesn’t matter where you live. It was a horror for nearly every citizen of this nation. The outpouring of emotion from across the country was palpable in the days after, we all knew it, we felt it and we were extremely grateful. Sadly, it’s the only time in my life that I felt like our country really stood together in support of one another. And everyone was a “New Yorker” that day and for weeks afterwards.

But what makes my skin crawl are the people who buy into this culture of fear, shout 9/11 as some sort of effed up battle cry and then out the otherside of their mouth decry us “New Yorkers” as elitist, and whatever other BS. They insult us one minute and then use this tragedy as part of their agenda the next.

I will never forget where I was on that morning. I was in Port Protection Alaska. I was working for a fish buyer, cooking in his restaurant. I walked into work and several locals were gathered around the TV watching this horrible FAUX channel with blond breasts…err I mean sex kittens, err…I mean anchors. Old Jack just looked at me and said, “Be glad you are here honey.” As I turned the corner and just from the look on his face, I thought maybe Seattle (my corner of the world) had just had a major quake or something.
That was the moment we lost what we knew to be secure, we lost the right to be patriotic, we lost the right to think for ourselves and we started having the flag shoved down our throats by people who don’t even know the rules of displaying a flag.
I remember coming home two weeks later and sitting in a bar at the Ketchikan airport drinking coffee. The bar TV was on CNN. What were they showing OVER AND OVER AND OVER as I was ready to board a plane?
Being where I was when it happened was surreal. My loved ones felt like they were another world away. I couldn’t have left to go home and be with them if I wanted to. TV was scarce, NEWSPAPERS were scarce and what I was hearing was so upsetting, I couldn’t listen. When I did come home, it seemed like it was too late to react. A year later I went back to Alaska and worked for Jack again. it wasn’t till 2003 that I actually watched anything related to that day. I lost it.
I don’t know why I am telling you this, maybe because I was in your state on that day. Maybe I am telling you because I am in Love with that time of my life. Port Protection Alaska saved my life. My time in Alaska taught me to value things that are important. It also taught me a huge lesson in what really matters and what is really worth getting upset over. I came home understanding the pettiness we live with daily and the pettiness we call “important”. I learned what I can take and how far I can push myself. In a way I feel like I owe something much bigger than myself to that time and place. Had I not gone away and found out how strong I can be…I’m not sure I’d be sharing this with you now.
I love this blog and I LOVE AK’s style of writting. Thank you.Thanks so much, whabs. AKM

11092008

arkangel3(16:15:18) :

@Dan S.
Wow. Thanks for the perspective from DC on that day, and your own journey. Too often we forget about DC and Pennsy on this day; there are many heavy hearts and empty beds there tonight as well.

@cc717
I agree with your posts, and I think folks need to understand one thing about NYers: 9/11 is, and probably will forever remain a sensitive issue until the last person turns out the lights. I continued to work two blocks from the wreckage of the South Tower for another 3 years, before health issues forced me on disability and then my position was eliminated shortly after that. I know that any time you heard a loud noise or a bang, you’d see every single person on the street jump ten feet. It didn’t matter if it was a car back-firing…*that’s* the kind of effect it has on NYers.

I remember the first amazingly beautiful day in April of 2002. It was 90 degrees out (exceptional for that time of year), and after a long winter of fear and dread…the City finally was able to let it’s hair down. The South Street Seaport was *jammed* that day. All I know is that my buddy and I left work for lunch, headed over there…and spent the entire afternoon drinking margaritas. Needless to say, we didn’t go back to the office, LOL! It was the first time we both felt that it was OK to feel some joy again. (For the record, I gave up booze almost 3 years ago).

It is one of the better memories I have of NY and NYers, because on that day…all you saw were smiles on every face…a stark contrast to six months earlier.

11092008

iona(17:04:26) :

ok (deep breath) my first blog anywhere anytime ever – I have a lot to learn about this way of communicating and writing, so please bear with me!

Thank you Mudflats, Arkangel, Proud2BeUSA, swineprincess, from england, all of you. I too found this blog on the day of the announcement when in disgust and desperation I started searching the internet for some answers and facts. I check it every day now and pass on what I learn to others. I have donated and will volunteer. You are making a difference.

On 9/11 I was teaching English in Guadalajara Mexico. I came out of class at 8 am and my students told me what had happened. That night children led candlelight vigils and football players formed an American flag out of flowers on the fields before they played. Everywhere people came up to us and told us, our house is yours. That is why, I do care very much what others think of us. We all have to care. We all depend on each other. We need each other. We are in this together.

I am writing a book about the lead up to the English Civil War. It is scary how much events then are mirrored now. How many children have to
die in the name of “God”?? It simply must change now. We, our planet, our children, our humanity cannot afford this anymore. Palmdale Ca, amen. We have met the enemy within us – our desire for power over others. We must find a way to fight “evil” without becoming it.

I just saw a great film “The Color of Freedom” – inspirational, about Nelson Mandela’s guard. And also “Sophie Scholl” who worked for the White Rose in Nazi Germany. Has anyone seen these? if not, and you can right now, do.

I grew up in the late 60s and feel sometimes like its 1968 all over again, only worse. Each day in school I’d wonder why we never talked about what was happening in Birmingham. People gave their lives…it seems this is the struggle and we must continue it too. It’s not over. This country has used nuclear weapons before. I promise here and now I will do what I can to contribute towards a future where no one ever has to live through another 9/11.

Yes, we can.

Ok, I’ll shut up now…be well, I’m writing and listening and learning, and passing on all info. thank you thank you thank you for all your hard work and words – keep writing and talking!

ps. what is a “527”?

Iona, Welcome! I liked your first post ever. And I’m glad you are enjoying the blog and finding it useful. I hope you write again. AKMuckraker

11092008

Caroline(17:34:42) :

arkangel3:

Yes, it took a long time to feel normal again, didn’t it?! I’m not jumpy anymore but I always notice the planes that seem to fly so unusually low. Sorry to be grim but I’m shocked daily at how the FAA allows it. And any time you hear a lots of sirens or see a lot of police activity you always think the worst. But, I’d never live anywhere else.

I’m sorry to hear about your health problems. After the smell that lingered I don’t know how any gov’t official could say that there was nothing harmful in the air. Where do you live now?

Best to you.

11092008

arkangel3(19:23:17) :

@iona
Well said…and thanks for the reminder of the English Civil War (Euro History was my Minor in College); there are a lot of parallels with that.

A 527 is a group outside of a political campaign or political party that is able to collect money from supporters and place ads on the media and pretty much say whatever they want to say. Some of the worst slime ball American Politics happens this way all the time. By way of example, we could form a group called “Mudflats Readers Who Despise Sarah Palin” and run a despicable ad saying things like she wants war with Russia, and has no idea what the Bush Doctrine is. It would of course be untrue…oh…wait a minute…she DID say those things in an interview with Charlie Gibson tonight.
Well, we could say that she hates moose…and THAT’s why she wants to kill ’em all! I think you get the drift. 527’s are an unfortunate part of our politics here.

Btw…you did just fine in your post! Keep on posting!

@caroline
I still can’t see a low flying plane without a panic attack happening. What I’ve learned to do is never look up when I hear a plane overhead so I don’t freak out.

11092008

iona(20:25:09) :

@thanks Arkangel3! hmmm, very tempting..but maybe 527s are not the way
to go? not for me anyway.

all my best to you and your family. thanks again for writing.

11092008

Kathy(20:56:02) :

I lived in the Village then. I came out of my building with my dog, and Seventh Avenue was full of police and firetrucks, all screaming downtown. The sidewalks were as full as if it were some strange parade, everybody had come out to be eyewitnesses. People parked on the side of the road turned up their radios to the all-news station and people gathered round. You could walk from one pool of horrible information to the next, but meanwhile we all looked south to that ugly black hole, with flames licking the bottom and reels of paper unspooling themselves.
I ended up in a church on Carmine Street, Our Lady of Pompeii, praying God please to exist, just exist. I stayed there, not knowing when the Towers came down, just terrified and thinking the city was being bombed. When the F-16’s arrived, too late, I didn’t know whose planes they were. Sirens screamed by constantly.
When I emerged, I saw twin columns of smoke so high it was as if the Towes had been dissolved into mist.

Someone was calling out, “You can give blood! Go up to Saint Vincent’s and give blood!” So villagers walked to Saint Vincent and soon a line formed round the block. And the doctors and nurses waited with stretchers and gurneys and even sheet-draped office chairs, for the scores of wounded that never came.

City buses roared by, looking as if they were on fire, trailing what looked like smoke but was really that WTC toxic lung-destroying dust. We began seeing ghostly survivors, stumbling their way northward, covered in it.

I remember feeling at the time, “We must be very adult now. We must be focussed, surgical. Now we will strip away the trivial, because we must get whoever did this and prevent them from doing it again. No more politics.

Oh, sad.

Now I live a few blocks from Ground Zero. My neighbors who were here then remain truamatized, but I’ll tell you, anybody who lives down here jumps when they hear a loud noise. And when I see a low-flying airplane, I always follow it with my eyes. JUst casually.

Eight years later, I now live very close to Ground Zero.

12092008

asenath1az(00:25:19) :

I watched this morning as the park at the Pentagon was dedicated..very moving. My brother-in-law was at work that morning across from the Pentagon when the plane hit. He called us and said he was looking out the window drinking a cup of coffee when out of no where a jet hit the Pentagon. After that he said it all seemed to be in slow motion.
At ground zero today, in New York, I was moved to tears when the firefighter took his pin off his lapel and put it on John McCain’s lapel. McCain hugged him and the firefighter said, “Thank you sir”. Then as they moved down the line another firefighter put his pin on Cindy McCain’s lapel, she had tears in her eyes and held his hand…
WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
I was looking at an old X-Files episode and noticed something..thought I would share this odd 911 coincidence…
A clip from Lone Gunmen Episode 1: Pilot, Aired on “MARCH 4, 2001”.
Written By: Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz
Directed By: Rob Bowman Copyright: XFiles/21st Century FOX.
“SEPTEMBER 11, 2001” America was attached…

thanks for pointing me towards arkangels post. i too am a 9/11 survivor & it was interesting to read another survivors story (i’ve been avoiding all of that a number of years) AND that he has struggled too…